


golden

by literatiruinedme



Series: case files [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Reunions, Witness Protection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 13:50:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18500308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literatiruinedme/pseuds/literatiruinedme
Summary: After solving the murder of Jason Blossom, Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III and Elizabeth Cooper no longer exist.





	golden

**Author's Note:**

> and the [mood board](https://imgur.com/BzzLepn)

Jughead paced the short room, arms crossed over his chest as he walked- back and forth, back and forth.

He’d shrugged out of his jacket and his flannel long ago, his hat tossed somewhere out of frustration at how slow it took for time to pass.

He needed her. It’d been a year, nine months, thirteen days, five hours, twenty-nine minutes since he'd seen her last.

They exchanged letters (and the occasional book she _needed_ to read) once a week, but it wasn't the same. No phone calls, texts, emails, telegrams, or smoke signals allowed between witnesses. Kate used to check every letter to make sure he wasn't giving out his phone number or address- even if he knew Betty would never break a rule that could put him in danger. Realistically, had he managed to slip anything through, Betty would have told the agent tasked with her wellbeing and Kate would have brought the hammer down once any rule breaking was relayed to her.

He turned on a heel, banging on the glass door. “Hey!”

His witsec officer looked up from her desk, brows pinched in annoyance. Kate stood quickly, her long hair whipping over her shoulders as she marched over to the room he was being held in. “What?” she snapped angrily after ripping the door open.

Jughead swallowed, combing his fingers through his hair to calm himself; be civil, get treated with civility was how Kate operated. “I’m sorry.”

She sighed, nodding her head. “It’s okay, I know you miss her.”

He hummed. “She’s on her way?”

Kate glanced at the clock behind him. “Should be here in about an hour.” She glanced back at her desk. “You want me to order pizza?”

Jughead grinned. “You know me too well.”

“Garbage?”

He nodded excitedly before he looked back at the empty room he'd been pacing. “Can I sit out with you? I’m driving myself crazy in here.”

“Bring your book, I’m still doing paperwork,” she said over her shoulder as she walked back over to her desk.

He nodded, retrieving his book before he slipped out, taking the chair in front of her desk as she placed their order over the phone. He read and read and reread the first page before finally giving up on his book again.

Kate looked up from her paperwork. “Can’t focus?”

He hummed, picking at some nonexistent dirt under his fingernails.

“Jay, come on.”

“It’s been too long, I'm just nervous. Sorry.”

Kate smiled. “You’re-” She checked her watch. “Fifty minutes out.” She glanced back up at him. “Almost there.”

He sighed, nodding his head. “It’s only been ten minutes?”

“Unfortunately for you, yes.”

Jughead frowned, gripping the armrests as he stared at the door.

“That’s not going to make her appear any faster.”

He let his head fall back against the edge of her desk. “I know, I just...miss her.”

“What’ll you say when you see her?”

He stopped. “I don't-” He blinked, sitting up straight. “Why have I never thought about that? Oh, my god, what am I going to say?”

Kate chuckled beside him.

“Don't laugh. What the fuck is wrong with me? I just imagined hugging her.” He frowned. “God, I miss her hugs.”

“You two have known each other for how long again?”

He smiled, thinking back to his gruff, but _liveable_ childhood. “We met in Archie Andrews’ backyard when we were six years old.”

Kate smiled. She'd heard every one of his stories multiple times. US Marshal Kate Blanchard was a hardass, but she never treated him like a child and he appreciated- no, he _needed_ that after he was admitted into the program.

The folks who took him in- also members of the witness protection program and a really great foster family for the situation they were forced into -were nice people, but he'd never felt comfortable enough with them. He was always a little too doom and gloom, even if they tried their best to handle him.

Kate was the angel of a Marshal who believed in tough love. She didn't take his crap, but she also kept him fed- all of the unhealthy stuff, too. She was refreshing after the amount of random agents and officers he'd dealt with over the years, each a little too suspicious of him despite him being under threat of death.

Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III and Elizabeth Cooper no longer existed after solving the case of Jason Blossom’s murder. He was Jamie Henderson of St. George, Utah, on his way to a new city under a new name with the girl he'd been missing for far too long.

Betty was coming from somewhere West, close enough that they could travel together, making up for every second of lost time as they moved onto a new life- _together_ this time.

“Tell me the story for old times sake?” she asked, smiling brightly at him as she leaned back in her chair, the paperwork on her desk long forgotten.

He nodded, relaxing into his seat. “Betty has always been a vision. Even when we were kids, she was always this adorable little ball of sunshine.” He smiled as he described playing in Archie's backyard; her and Archie armed with cardboard swords as he pretended to be the damsel in distress, Hot Dog drooling in his sleep beside Jughead while he read.

She may have always “saved” him, but she still called him her handsome hero.

“Did I ever tell you about the cookie conundrum of ‘08?”

Kate frowned, shaking her head. “I don't think so.”

Jughead grinned. “Betty and I were seven and she said she knew how to make cookies by herself. She accidentally mixed up a few prepositions and we ended up with soupy batter. It was more cake than cookie, still not quite right- but we finished the whole tray.”

“That's adorable.”

He rolled his eyes before checking the clock again. “We're definitely adorable,” he said, not looking back at her.

_Forty-five minutes._

“Tell me about the time you two saw _witches_ in Greendale.” She made air quotes as she said _witches_.

“You're never going to let that one go,” he muttered, shaking his head. “There's definitely some wicked shit going on in that town,” he said, shaking his head. “Seriously, check the obituaries.”

“Greendale is so far out of my way, I can guarantee you that'll never happen.”

Jughead hummed, smiling at her. “Pussy.”

She rolled her eyes, leaning down to check her phone as it buzzed. She grabbed the phone, raising it to her ear after accepting a call. “Hello?” She paused, smiling as she pulled her wallet out of her desk. “Yeah, come right up.” She hummed in acknowledgement. “Alright, bye.”

She pulled a few bills out, throwing the wallet in her desk after hanging up the phone. “Pizza's here,” she said with a grin.

Jughead smiled, straightening in his seat. “I can't tell you how excited I am for this pizza.”

Kate chuckled, shaking her head. “You're so easy to please.” She stood, rounding the desk as she sauntered over to the glass door separating the office from the elevators. She grinned when the elevator slid open.

“Juggie?”

He shot out of his chair, eyes wide as he watched the elevator open, revealing a blonde agent holding a pizza box, blocking most of Betty's body.

_Betty._

The agent stepped aside, letting Betty run past her, through the door Kate was holding open. She paused about a foot from him, eyes lining with tears as she took him in.

She looked older. Not by much, but her face seemed sleeker, her nose and chin sharper. Her eyes were still the same, but-

“Oh my god, your hair,” they both said at the same time, pausing in surprise before they burst out in shared laughter.

He reached out to touch her shoulder length hair, earning a smile from her. “I like it.” He smiled, stepping forward so he could cup her face in his hands, kissing her firmly on the lips.

He felt himself relax for the first time in almost two years. Every part of him felt like it was on fire- needing her closer, closer, closer.

She pulled back when he tasted salt, looking up at him with a deep frown on her beautiful lips. “Juggie, you're crying.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she reached up with one hand to touch his face, brushing away a few tears. “I'm sorry.”

She smiled, reaching up to run her fingers through his messy hair. “Where's your beanie?”

“Other room,” he shrugged.

She grinned, pulling him closer. “Floor or table?”

He sighed, shaking his head. “I don't know, I was being-”

“Extra?” Kate supplied from the other end of the room, grinning as she and the other agent munched on their respective slices of pizza.

Jughead rolled his eyes, about to snap something back when Betty rested her hand over his heart, her touch warm through the thin fabric of his tee-shirt. He looked down at her, waiting for her to speak before he realized she was staring at her fingers. With a small smile, he leaned down to kiss her forehead. “You want me to get it?” he asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

She hummed in consideration before meeting his gaze again. “I can-”

He shook his head, kissing her forehead again before he pulled away. “I'll get it. I left some stuff in there anyway.”

She nodded, pulling him in for a parting kiss.

He leaned back with a smile on his lips, kissing her brow. He ran over to grab his jacket, flannel, and beanie before rejoining her and their respective handlers in the main office, his beanie pulled over his messy hair.

Kate walked over, opening the lid of the party size pizza so he could take a slice. “I'm pretty much done, this is yours.”

He grinned, taking the pizza box from her. “You finally get to witness Betty and me kill a box of pizza together. Now, that's a magical moment.”

Betty shook her head. “Juggie-”

“Oh, you two haven't been properly introduced,” Kate mused, fake-smiling brightly in the way she did when Jughead was being stubborn about the rules.

Jughead rolled his eyes, looking down at the cardboard in his hands.

“Jamie Goldstein-” _New name, new city, new life._ “This is Elizabeth Goldstein.”

He looked up at her, brow quirked at the last name.

“Your _wife_.”

His _wife_. He had a wife- _Betty Cooper,_  his whole fucking world, was his wife. Sure, the United States Government had taken the liberty to undercut any proposal he could make, but she was his _wife_.

He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him in the best way possible.

Kate nudged the pizza box, chuckling when he snapped back to reality. “Go feed your girl.”

He smiled softly, nodding his head before he turned, striding over to Betty. His brows furrowed when she stood, offering him a small smile while she took the box.

“Sit.”

He shrugged, sliding into the seat she'd previously occupied before she perched herself on his lap, handing him a slice of pizza before she picked up her own. He wrapped his arm around her waist, smiling when she hummed happily, leaning against his chest as she ate. He looked over at Kate and the blonde agent that came in with Betty, watching them speak in hushed tones.

“Robin,” Betty called, waving her over. “Come sit with us.”

Kate and Robin shared a glance before walking over. Kate took the seat behind her desk and Robin sat behind Kate’s partner’s empty desk.

Betty turned to look at Kate. “Thanks for letting us surprise him.”

Jughead rolled his eyes. “You didn't have to-”

“Yeah,” Betty interrupted, shrugging a shoulder. “But not having to wait the extra half hour was nice, wasn't it?”

“A minute without you is a minute too long,” he mumbled, pecking her grease-stained lips.

He knew Kate was rolling her eyes, but he didn't care. He had his Betty back.

“You're being cheesy, Juggie.”

“Oh,” Kate interjected, pulling them out of their bubble. “Yeah, as long as you're in the program, you're going to need to drop that nickname.”

Betty frowned as her shoulders fell. She nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“God, why couldn't he have been that easy?” Kate scoffed.

“Hey,” Jughead huffed. “I had to keep you on your toes.”

She rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile. “Nuisance.”

“Jerk,” he countered, smiling back at her.

“Just eat your pizza.”

“Whatever,” he mumbled, picking up another slice.

Betty smiled, shaking her head as she watched him stuff the slice in his mouth. “You're trouble.”

Kate snorted. “You don't know the half of it.”

Betty quirked a brow, glancing from Kate to him. “Have you been giving her shit?”

Jughead felt his face heat up under her gaze. “I’ve always been trouble, why would now be any different?”

Betty shrugged. “I don't know, the whole _witness protection_ thing seemed like enough of a reason to not anger anyone with a badge, but maybe that was just me.”

Robin grinned. “Glad I got my girl.”

“Oh, I'm so very jealous,” Kate huffed. “You-” she pointed at Jughead. “Shaved, like, five years off of my life, you bastard.”

“I could've been-”

Betty pressed her heel into his calf, quirking a brow when he looked over at her.

“Okay,” he murmured quietly, relaxing under her as he ate quietly.

Kate chuckled, leaning back in her seat. “If only we'd had you in Utah, Betty.”

Betty chuckled, picking up another slice of pizza. “From Jug-” She paused before Kate had a chance to correct her. “ _Jamie's_ letters, it sounded rather boring.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Though, he can be melodramatic at times.”

Kate hummed in agreement.

Jughead rolled his eyes before he glanced back at Betty. “How was... _wherever_ the last few weeks?”

Betty beamed at him. “Sunny and warm.”

He hummed happily, nodding his head. “Sounds lovely.” He glanced back at Kate. “Any idea where we're going?”

She shook her head. “No idea.”

Jughead hummed, not quite believing her. “Can you at least tell me if it'll be cold?”

Kate nodded. “You two are going North and-” She pointed at Jughead. “ _You're_ getting the fuck out of my hair.”

He grinned. “You're going to miss me when I'm gone.”

“Wouldn't count on it.”

He hummed, winking at Betty as he grabbed another slice.

Betty rolled her eyes before she poked his cheek. “Troublemaker.”

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi to me on [tumblr](http://literatiruinedme.tumblr.com/)!
> 
>  
> 
> If this is your jam, there's a prequel: [sunshine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18500308)!


End file.
